Prince-Bishopric of Worms

The Prince-Bishopric of Worms, was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Located on both banks of the Rhine around Worms just north of the union of that river with the Neckar, it was largely surrounded by the Electorate of the Palatinate. Worms had been the seat of a bishop from Roman times. From the High Middle Ages on, the prince-bishops' secular jurisdiction no longer included the city of Worms, which was an Imperial Free City and which became officially Protestant during the Reformation. The prince-bishops however retained jurisdiction over the Cathedral of Worms inside the city.

Prince-Bishopric of Worms Episcopatus Vormatiensis  (Latin) Fürstbistum Worms  (German)
861–1802
Coat of arms
The Prince-Bishopric of Worms circa 1700
Status	Prince-Bishopric
Capital	Worms until 1400; thereafter Ladenburg
Common languages	Ripuarian Franconian
Government	Prince-Bishopric
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Bishopric founded	614
• Gained Reichsfreiheit	861
• Occupied by France	1795
• Secularised to     Hesse-Darmstadt	1802 1802
Preceded by Succeeded by County Palatine of Lotharingia Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt

The Imperial Cathedral of Worms

In 1795 Worms itself, as well as the entire territory of the prince-bishopric on the left bank of the Rhine, was occupied and annexed by France. In the wake of the territorial reorganizations that came with the German mediatization of 1802-1803, the remaining territory of the bishopric, along with that of nearly all the other ecclesiastical principalities, was secularized. In this case, it was annexed by Hesse-Darmstadt.

Bishops of Worms, 770—1802

Erembert 770-803 Bernhar 803-823 Volkwin 823-841 Samuel 841-859 Gunzo 859-872 Adelhelm 873-890 Dietlach 890-914 Richowo 914-950 Hanno 950-978 Hildebold 978-998 Franco from Hesse 998-999 Erfo 999 Razo 999 Burchard I 1000-1025 Azecho 1025-1044 Adalgar 1044 Arnold I 1044-1065 Adalbert I von Rheinfelden 1065-1070 Adalbert II of Saxony 1070-1107 Erzo 1107-115 Arnold II 1110-1131 Burchard II von Asorn 1120-1149 Konrad I von Steinach 1150-1171 Konrad II von Sternberg 1171-1192 Henryk I van Maastricht 1192-1195 Luitpold von Schonfeld 1196-1217 Henry II of Saarbrücken 1217-1234 Landolf of Hoheneck 1234-1247

Konrad III von Durkheim 1247 Richard of Dhaun 1247-1257 Eberhard I of Baumberg 1257-1277 Friedrich of Baumberg 1277-1283 Simon von Schoneck 1283-1291 Eberhard II von Strahlenberg 1291-1293 Emicho of Baumberg 1294-1299 Eberwin von Kronenberg 1300-1308 sede vacante 1309–1310 Baldwin of Luxembourg 1309–1310, as diocesan administrator Emeric von Schoneck 1310-1318 Heinrich III of Dhaun 1318-1319 Konrad IV von Schoneck 1319-1329 Gerlach von Erbach 1329-1332 Salomon Waldbott, 1332–1350 Dietrich I Bayer von Boppard 1350-1365 Johann Schadland 1365-1370 Echard von Dersch 1370-1405 Matthew of Kraków 1405-1410 Johann II von Fleckenstein 1410-1426 Eberhard III von Sternberg 1426-1427 Friedrich II von Domneck 1427-1445 Ludwig von Ast 1445 Reinhard I von Sickingen 1445-1482 Johann von Dalberg 1482-1503 Reinhard von Rüppurr 1503-1523 Henry of the Palatinate 1523-1552

Dietrich von Rothenstein 1552-1580 Georg von Schönenberg 1580-1595 Philipp von Rothenstein 1595-1604 Philipp II. Kratz von Scharfenstein 1604 Wilhelm von Essern 1604-1616 Georg Friedrich von Greiffenklau 1616-1629 Georg Anton von Rodenstein 1629-1652 Hugo Eberhard Kratz von Scharfenstein 1654-1663 Johann Philipp von Schönborn 1663-1673 Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid 1673-1675 Damian Hartard von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck 1675-1678 Karl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg 1679 Franz Emmerich Kaspar von Waldbott von Bassenheim 1679-1683 Johannes Karl von und zu Franckenstein 1683-1691 Ludwig Anton von Pfalz-Neuburg 1691-1694 Count Palatine Francis Louis of Neuburg 1694-1732 Franz Georg von Schönborn 1732-1756 Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein 1756-1763 Johann Philipp II von Walderdorf 1763-1768 Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim 1768-1774 Friedrich Karl Josef von Erthal 1774-1802

See also